GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham, Roger Wicker blast reports of 60-day ceasefire deal with Iran
Leading Republicans in the Senate are voicing concerns about a peace deal reportedly being negotiated with Iran, arguing that it would be a disaster for the United States that would render pointless the war that President Trump launched nearly three months ago.
“Rumors of a 60-day ceasefire in the belief that Iran will act in good faith would be a disaster,” wrote Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. social platform.
He said that if the deal goes forward, the effects of a joint military operation between the US and Israel titled “Operation Epic Rage” will be “null”.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of President Trump who has been pushing for years for U.S. military intervention against the Iranian regime, said an early deal could fundamentally shift the balance of power in the Middle East in Iran’s favor.
“If an agreement is reached to end the Iranian conflict because the Strait of Hormuz is believed not to be safe from Iranian terrorism and because Iran is still thought to have the capacity to destroy the Gulf’s significant oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as a dominant power requiring a diplomatic solution,” Graham wrote in an op-ed on Saturday. Publish on X.
The South Carolina Republican added that such a perception would turn into a “nightmare for Israel” over time and that the logic behind the war would be completely questioned.
He also expressed skepticism that Iran could be denied the ability to threaten global oil supplies by blocking the Strait of Hormuz again in the future.
“I am personally skeptical of the idea that Iran’s ability to terrorize the Strait cannot be denied and that the region cannot defend itself against Iran’s military capabilities,” he wrote, adding: “It is important that we get this right.”
The criticisms from the two GOP senators were notable, given that the GOP Senate has generally shied away from harsh criticism of Trump.
Both men’s comments came before President Trump announced he was close to a deal with Iran.
“Substantial negotiations have taken place between the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran and various other countries and are expected to be concluded,” Trump said in a statement on his Twitter account. Sharing on Truth SocialHe added that final details of the deal “will be announced shortly.”
Trump did not disclose details of the agreement, but a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation effort said: Associated Press It was stated that the potential agreement would officially declare the end of the war and start a 60-day negotiation period on Iran’s nuclear program.
Graham and Wicker’s concerns appeared largely to do with Iran’s nuclear program. The deal under discussion does not appear to include any specific interpretation of Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump and U.S. officials have long said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a reason for war.
According to a report Tehran had agreed to halt hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah group is fighting Israel, the New York Times reported. The Times, citing three Iranian sources, said the deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, which is key for Trump, as it could provide gradual relief from sky-high gas prices that have increased political pressure on the GOP in the United States. The agreement would also end the US blockade of Iranian ports, the Times said.
The Times added that it was not clear that the deal its sources cited was the same deal Trump described in his Truth Social post.
The developments of the last day heralded the possibility of an agreement.
Wicker also offered a message Friday saying he was wary of what he was hearing about the negotiations. In a post on X on Friday, he wrote that reaching a deal would be “ill-advised.”
“Achieving further agreements with Iran’s Islamist regime risks the perception of weakness,” he wrote in one op-ed. Publish on X Friday. “We must finish what we started.”
Trump announced Friday that he would not attend his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, and the White House said he would be in Washington and not Mar-a-Lago, where he frequently travels on weekends. Trump stated that he would not attend the wedding due to his presidential duties and specifically touched on Iran.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who held the post in the first Trump administration, also harshly criticized his understanding of the agreement. In a post on X, he wrote that this appeared to have been negotiated by officials working for the Obama administration. Both Trump and Pompeo have criticized the Iran deal negotiated by this administration as too weak.
Pompeo wrote that the deal presented to the public was “not remotely America First.”
He said an effective agreement would be “simple.”
“Open the damn strait. Deny Iran access to money. Eliminate sufficient Iranian capacity to prevent it from threatening our allies in the region. It’s due. Let’s go,” he wrote.
Later Saturday, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote to X that Pompeo “has no idea what he’s talking about,” adding that Pompeo “doesn’t understand anything that’s going on.”
As Americans face four-year record high gas prices, the president faces mounting pressure on multiple fronts to take measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. almost $4.53 Before Memorial Day.
Republicans fear they could lose their House majority in this fall’s elections as Trump’s approval ratings decline, and the Senate majority now appears to be within Democrats’ reach.
Trump said he discussed Iran’s proposed framework with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that “went very well.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
This story was updated at 21:07
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